I'm Not Into You, I Swear
by theblacktide
Summary: Cas was nothing like Dean. He liked Led Zeppelin, Dean didn't even know what that was. Dean read comic books, Cas thought they were for kids. They had nothing in common. Did they? (this AU's a bit different- with punk!cas and nerd!dean. Just to switch things up a little.) (I don't own the cover image. it belongs to Chelsey, and her blog is
1. Chapter 1

It was a rather mild Sunday and not really extraordinary in the slightest. Cas casually played a game on his cracked iphone out of boredom, since there hadn't been a customer in the shop for at least two hours. That was Sunday for you. Being located in one of the back corners of a practically unoccupied street didn't help, either. But Cas couldn't complain. As long as he sat behind the counter he got paid, simple as that.

Besides, working at Smash Records was amazing. Cas loved it there. He was actually getting paid to do one of things he loved most- listening to music and recommending his top picks to interested customers. It beat having to work in some shitty restaurant mopping up floors all day. It didn't feel so much like a job but more like a pastime. Plus there weren't many employees working there, which meant Cas didn't have to deal with an overwhelming amount of people every day. Other than himself and Bobby, the owner of the store who wasn't there very often, there were two other employees: Meg, who completely fit the spunky, punk-rock persona, and Adam, who wasn't quite so punk-rock as he was classic rock. Today, however, only Cas was working.

It wasn't until a little after 3 that the bells sitting above the door ringed, signaling that there was now a customer. Cas raised his head from his phone, seeing who had finally come in the shop to relieve his boredom, even if only temporarily. It wasn't anyone he had seen before. The guy who now standing in the store looked pretty average- his blonde hair was ruffled from the wind, and he was wearing those big, black glasses that looked good on everyone. His shirt featured Marvel's Avengers, meaning he probably wasn't here for music. That disappointed Cas, as he had been rather excited to finally be able and help someone pick out the perfect album.

The stranger looked awkward sanding in the shop, like he thought he didn't belong there. Cas, being a model employee and all, was gonna change that.

"Hey, anything I can help you find today?" he asked, smiling and trying to look as friendly as possible.

The guy looked up, surprised he was being talked to. "Um, I- Well, I was told that you sold comic books here, but m-maybe they were wrong.."

Cas chuckled a bit. Of course he was here for comics. "Nope, they were right. They're in the back of the shop. The selection might not be that great right now, though, because it's the end of the month. We'll be ordering some more next week, so if what you're looking for isn't there, you can just let me know and I'll have it ordered."

His face lit up a bit, and he seemed to be getting more comfortable. "Thanks, um-"

"Cas," he offered. "My name's Cas."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Dean," he said, another smile forming.

"Cool." Cas wasn't too interested in giving him any more help unless he asked. Music was more his area. Adam was the one in charge of the comics.

Dean walked back to where Cas had pointed and started browsing the good, albeit small, selection of comic books the store had to offer. They had all the classics, with a nice mix of newer works. He pushed his glasses up a bit to keep them from falling down his nose as he flipped through the pages of a Spiderman comic. He liked this store.

Dean had been a bit worried at first, mostly because of the way the comics were hidden and the way Cas looked. Cas had that style Dean had only really ever heard of or seen at a distance. Punk was probably the best word for it. Cas most likely had a mohawk at one point, but now it was grown out, leaving a thicker streak of black hair on the top that flopped to one side. His ears has those holes in them, though Dean forgot what they were called. He didn't really see Cas's entire face, but he could see at least an eyebrow and lip piercing. Cas's shirt was black and advertised some band Dean hadn't heard of. Still, he liked him, despite the obvious contrast between the two. Cas seemed nice.

After a bit more browsing, Dean decided on two comics- a Deadpool and one of the newer X-mens. Though they weren't the Batman comic he was originally looking for, they still looked cool. He brought them up to the counter, where Cas was typing something up on the computer. As Dean approached with the merchandise in hand, he looked up from his work and moved to assist him.

"Find everything alright?" Cas asked, being polite as possible.

Dean nodded, pleased he had come in. Cas nodded as well and began ringing up the comics Dean had placed on the counter.

"Um, so you know how you mentioned ordering new comics earlier?" Dean started awkwardly, not sure how to bring it up.

"Yeah, is there one you want?" "Well, yes actually. It's a Batman one, um, called Arkham Asylum."

Cas nodded, shifting back to the computer to type it in. "Okay Alright, I put it in, and we should be ordering them next week sometime, so expect it here in about three weeks. Want me to reserve it for you?"

Dean smiled again and pushed up his glasses. "Thank you, that'd be great."

Cas nodded again, pushing the bagged items towards him. "No problem. Have a nice day."

"You too," he replied, grabbing the bag and heading for the door. As he walked away, he silently thanked himself for choosing to go in there.

After Dean had left, Cas slumped back in his chair, shaking his head. "Fucking nerds," he mumbled to himself. Cas could never quite get the hang of them.

And now he was bored again.


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, so he'll admit, Dean _really_ liked Cas. But who could blame him? It had been one entire week since Dean had met the guy and he still couldn't get his mind off him. Maybe it was because of how- different Cas felt. Or his eyes. He had _really_ blue eyes. He was something Dean had only ever heard about.

But there was a lot wrong with this equation. He hardly knew Cas. Dean had talked to the guy once, _once_, and that was because Cas _had_ to. Then there was always the very possible chance that he wasn't gay. Or maybe he hated Dean.

He shook the ideas out of his bead, not wanting to think anymore on the subject. At least, not until he had to. Which would be in two weeks, when Dean got the opportunity to go back to Smash Records and pick up his comic. He never thought he would've been so happy that a store _didn't_ have what he was looking for.

With a sigh, Dean heaved himself off his unkept bed and reached for his phone. That is, if he could find his phone. Cursing himself for not being able to keep a clean room, he began clearing away some of the clothes and books and whatnot from his floor to find it. Finally he managed to locate it, under a pair of faded jeans. Clicking the display on, he focused on the screen.

_One New Message from Charlie,_ it read. Dean tapped it to reveal the message from his best friend. Charlie and him went way back, if you can call freshman year of high school "way back". She was new to school and, like himself, friendless. But it wasn't just that. She liked everything Dean liked, wether it was role-playing games or Zelda or _Star Trek_.

-_Hey loser. Wanna come hang out? I just got the new season of _Game of Thrones_…_

Dean smiled. That was Charlie for you. He shot back a quick reply saying he'd be there in 10. He could definitely go for some quality TV time right now.

Anything to clear his head.

~s~

"Hey Cas, wanna listen to Green Day or Black Sabbath?"

"Tough choice. But, since you're asking, I'll go with Black Sabbath," Cas responded to Meg, who was shifting through the records in the bin by the store's record player.

She rolled her eyes. "Wow, how unexpected of you, Cas. I had no _idea_ you'd pick that one!" her words were laced with sarcasm. She pushed the Black Sabbath record back into the pile and pulled out her favorite Green Day album. Very rarely did she ever listen to Cas.

Now it was Cas's turn to roll his eyes. Meg had a thing for Green Day. It's not that Cas didn't like Green Day, he totally did, but that was practically all Meg listened to. There was only so much Billie Joe Armstrong Cas could take in a day.

As the music started playing over the shop speakers, he was relieved that Meg had at least picked one of his favorite albums. And she knew it, too. Meg might have been bit of a rebel, but she was one of Cas's best friends. Plus, she got him in a way no one else really did.

Take they way they looked, for example. Her mods rivaled his own, and on top of gauges, eyebrow and nose piercings, she also had her lip pierced and several tattoos, mostly on her arms or hips. Her favorite was the spider that sprawled from her left palm to just below her wrist. Also, her black hair was always filled with some other unnatural color, this week's being blue. Meg's clothes never varied too far from some dark shade, usually being blue and black. And Cas swore it must've taken her at least a half hour every morning to apply all the makeup she wore. She was into the same style as Cas was, and not many other people where they lived were. They were somewhat of a rare species.

Meg came up to the front desk where Cas was stationed, and he looked up to see her nearly directly in front of him, leaning her arms on the desk, her face only inches away from his. He jumped back a bit, not expecting a face full of Meg.

"Hey Meg, in case you didn't know, the place we're at right now is our _workplace_. Where we do _work_. You think you should start doing some?"

Meg's expression didn't falter and if anything, her smile widened at his comment. "Scared ya, didn't I?" She jumped up onto the counter, making Cas scoot his chair back a bit.

Cas scoffed. "You wish."

"Uh huh, sure Cassie."

Cas groaned at the use of the nickname she had given to him. "Watch it, _Meghan_."

She brushed his jab off with a slight shrug. It took a lot to faze her, and using her full name didn't quite cut it. "So what interesting and work-related things are you up to this fine day?"

"Well, earlier I organized the albums and records, and I unloaded the new shipment of music. Can you guess who was in charge of sorting it onto the shelves?"

She faked innocence. "I have no idea, who?"

Cas laughed, "You!" and pushed her off the counter, getting a surprised yelp from Meg, who was now lying in a heap on the floor. She smiled up at him.

"Nicely played, Cassie. But just you wait, I'll get you back," she warned, getting up and dusting herself off.

Cas only shrugged. "Show me your best, tough guy."

She didn't reply and instead just punched him playfully in the arm. Just as she turned to actually start sorting those new cd's, the door chimed open. Both looked up expectantly, only to see Adam, who was there for the next shift.

"Hey guys. Ready for me to take over?" he asked, happily as always.

Cas never got how he managed to always be in a good mood. Seriously, that guy never had a shit day. "Always," he responded.

Adam was probably the closest thing to a "normal" employee the shop had. Still, he was awesome. Although he was completely different than Cas and Meg, they all got along really well. Adam looked like your typical boy-next-door, with a clean look and an even cleaner record.

"Oh, also-" Cas started, "have you ordered the new shipment of comics yet?"

"I was actually just about to," Adam replied, eyeing Cas. "Why are you interested? You've never asked about a shipment before…"

Cas just shrugged. "No reason, really. Someone asked me to order something in particular, I guess. First time that happened."

Adam looked surprised. "Really? Huh. What'd they get?"

"I don't know, some Batman one. Arkham Asylum, maybe?"

Adam smiled. "Ooh, that's a good one. One of my personal favorite Batmans."

Cas just nodded, even though he knew nothing about what he was talking about. He was about to tell Adam that he'd check it out, but he realized how weird that would seem. Adam thought he hated comic books.

But it wouldn't hurt to at least flip through it…

~s~

Charlie was awesome. She was probably the coolest person Dean had ever had the pleasure of meeting. Take for instance the time in 10th grade when she talked only in Klingon for the first week of school and nearly everyone thought she was a German exchange student.

Today, though, she was cool for an entirely different reason. Charlie had bought all three of his favorite flavors of ice cream, and was then willing to do nothing but watch a good chunk of a season of one of their new favorite television series. She was very good with providing distractions. When he hung out with Charlie, nothing else ever seemed to matter.

"Okay, so what's his name again?" Charlie asked, scooping out another spoonful of Rocky Road. They were sprawled across her incredibly comfortable sofa, not wanting to move yet to switch discs when he previous one had ended nearly 5 minutes ago.

Dean looked down at his own tub of ice cream, a little embarrassed to be talking about this. "Cas. His name is Cas, and he works at that record store on 37th street."

"Ooh, _Cas_. Sounds very- exotic. Is he cute?"

Dean rolled his eyes, cheeks burning. "I-I guess so…"

"Oh don't even. You think he is super mega ultra hot, so don't give me this 'i guess so' nonsense," Charlie responded, giving Dean her usual sass and she shoved a huge chunk of strawberry in her mouth.

"Ok, fine. He's- attractive."

She shrugged. "Eh, close enough."

Dean just shook his head, trying to hide his smile. Just talking about Cas made him feel light and bubbly. It was pathetic.

"So," Charlie continued, "Have you gone back to see him?"

"I already told you, no. But I have to go back in two more weeks because I ordered a comic and that's when it'll come in."

Charlie squealed. "What?! Why didn't you tell me sooner? We need to start preparing you, then! We need to be able to convince him that you are the smartest, most attractive person alive!"

Dean just looked at her and shifted to sit up on the sofa. "Um, I'll pass, thanks."

"What do you mean, 'you'll pass'?"

He sighed, deciding to get up and walk over to the dvd player to switch out the discs so they could continue watching. "Charlie, I don't know anything about him. I don't even know if he's gay!"

"Dean, you're hot enough to make even the straightest guy start batting for the other team, if you catch my drift," she laughed.

Dean chuckled a bit, too, and rolled his eyes. "Even if he was gay, I really don't know if someone like him would go for someone like me."

"For fuck's sake Dean, think a bit more positively, okay? I'm not about to sit here and listen to you tell me how you're 'not good enough'. Now come sit and let's find out how this all ends."

He had to admit, she had a point. Sure, there were a lot of different factors that would make having a relationship between the two impossible. But there was also a lot that could end up turning out okay. Charlie was always right with these things.

"Just promise me something?" she asked, turning to look at him.

"Sure, Charlie."

"Promise me you'll at least try? Promise me you won't just give up on this guy."

Dean sucked in a breath and looked at her. She was being completely serious, which wasn't something she did often. He couldn't see why it was such a big deal to her. But, like he noted before, she did have a point. So why not? Really, what did he have to lose?

"Okay. I promise."


	3. Chapter 3

Dean was suddenly regretting all of this. He shouldn't have gone into that records store three weeks ago, he shouldn't have taking a liking to Cas, and he really shouldn't have asked him to order (and reserve) a stupid comic book for him.

When he had woken up, he was surprised by a message on his answering machine, saying:

_"Hey, Dean, it's Cas from Smash Records. Just calling to let you know that comic you wanted came in yesterday. I put it on reserve for you. Come in whenever to pick it up."_

Dean's heart had stopped beating at that voice, even though it was grainy and odd coming from his voicemail. It sounded almost just as he had remembered it sounded- rough but kind, harsh but cool. Dean thought he could get drunk on just his voice alone.

_No, _he scolded himself, shaking his head. He was _not_ going to keep doing this. He had met this guy once, _once._ It didn't mean anything, and Dean knew that. He told himself he'd wait until he picked up the comic to re-analyze the situation. Now, though, he wasn't even sure it he wanted to go.

He rubbed his eyes, hard, pushing his glasses up into his messy blond hair. What had he gotten himself into? He was so stupid. Why did he ever think he could pull this off? Dean was not the kind of guy to ever start something with someone else. His backbone was nonexistent. How he had ever managed to hold a conversation with Cas, he'll never know.

Then he remembered his promise to Charlie. I mean, Dean could just as easily brush that off and forget about it, just as Charlie most likely had. But there was something stopping him. It just felt- wrong. His word meant something to him, he couldn't just disregard that.

That stupid promise was probably the only reason that he got dressed, fixed his hair, and went to Smash Records, hoping that Cas was working, to pick up his stupid comic book.

~s~

Cas hated tuesdays. Sure, he hated most days, but tuesdays were probably the worst. Nothing ever happened on a goddamn _tuesday._ It was just a filler day, really. And it also happened to be the day Cas had to work almost entirely by himself, since both Adam and Meg had college classes to attend. Maybe it was karma for dropping out.

The only "busy" part of the day was a little after 4, because that's when a lot of the college students got out of classes or whatever. The store was on one of the main roads that led to the campus, and plus nearly all of them now are the type to know where the record store is.

Cas checked the large, neon clock hanging across the checkout desk. He cursed silently realizing it was only 1:15. He loved his job, he really did, but what he loved ever more was actually _doing_ it. Sitting around all day was miserable.

He exhaled a breath before getting up and walking over to the record player that they used to play music over the speakers in the shop. He sorted through the bin and picked the first thing that looked good, which happened to be Nirvana. He smiled a bit when the first song came blasting onto the speakers, filling the space with elaborate guitar riffs.

As he walked back to his desk, Cas danced- or rather, he nodded his head to the rhythm and snaked his body in a way that fit the beat. It was fun to just let loose, only him and the music. A lot of people have things that calm them: yoga, meditation, reading. Cas's was music. He never felt as free as he did when he listened to one of his favorite artists, singing about shit that he could usually understand. It was bliss.

It was during his little dance party that the door actually chimed open and Cas was unfortunately caught shaking his body in an awkward, ungraceful way. Just his fucking luck. Embarrassed, he stopped immediately and turned his attention to the customer, who was probably in shock due to what they had just been forced to see. Cas felt bad, really.

He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding as he saw the customer. It was that guy from a few weeks ago who ordered the Batman comic. Dan, or something like that. He was standing in front of the door, body tense. His cheeks flushed violently and he lowered his head when they made eye contact, most likely because what he had just witnessed Cas doing. Cas blushed a bit too, still pretty embarrassed.

"So, you here for that comic?" Cas said, trying to clear the awkward tension floating in the air.

He seemed to relax a bit and he stepped forward. "Um, yeah."

Cas nodded and turned sharply, heading for the desk. He flipped through the reserved items, all organized on the second shelf, until he came across it. As he took it out, he also glanced at the sticky note it had tacked on its surface. _Dean_, he remembered when he read the note. His name was Dean.

Dean had moved even more by this point, and he had almost shuffled to the desk where Cas was sitting. He had been taken so off-guard by Cas's dancing that he had almost forgotten how to breathe for a moment. Dean didn't really know what to expect, but it definitely wasn't _that_. He still couldn't believe what he had seen.

Dean took another deep breath, silently praying that his cheeks were no longer bright red as he approached the counter. Cas didn't seem to notice, looking for what he could only assume was his comic from under the counter. Dean was so close to him, close enough to smell his intoxicating fragrance of soap and pine, close enough he would be able to feel Dean's breath if did so heavily. It made him feel dizzy.

"Alrighty," Cas said, lifting his head up and laying the comic book on the counter, "here she is."

Dean tried to regain his composure. "Thanks a lot, really. For doing this."

Cas just nodded again. "No problem man, that's what we're here for. Anyway, it'll be $17.99."

Dean dug out his wallet and gave him a twenty. Cas took it and opened the cash register, carefully plucking out the correct change, then dropped it into his hand. Dean's skin felt like it had been shocked when Cas's fingers met his own. It was such an exhilarating feeling.

Dean suddenly realized he needed to make conversation, and fast. He was _not_ going to waste three weeks of anticipation on this strictly business exchange. But what the hell could he talk about that Cas would be interested in? Dean suddenly remembered the incident he had witnessed upon entering the store. Cas had been dancing, which must've meant he liked the music that was playing (and still continued to play).

"Uh, I really like this song," Dean stated lamely. _Idiot._

Nevertheless, Cas's eyes lit up a bit at this. "You like Nirvana?"

Dean looked down, a little embarrassed seeing as how he had never even heard of this band or this song. But he wasn't exactly lying. He _did_ like it. "Well, uh, no, but I think it sounds really cool…"

Cas smiled at him, bigger than he had ever done so before. It was stunning. "Hey, no shame in that. At least you have good taste. This song's called 'In Bloom'. You should really listen to the rest of that album."

Dean nodded along, interested. "What's your favorite song off the album?"

Cas thought about it for a minute. "Probably 'Come As You Are'. Great tune."

The two of them just stood there, just listening to the song. Dean liked the silence, though, as did Cas. It wasn't awkward or anything. It felt- appreciative.

"So is this the type of music you're into?" Cas asked, animated.

Dean was embarrassed again. "Well, no, not exactly… See, I don't really," he paused, "listen to music…"

Cas's jaw hit the floor. "What? What do you mean, you don't listen to music? Seriously?"

"Yeah, well my parents were really conservative catholics so listening to anything other than gospel or classical music was forbidden. And I guess I never really got into it after I left to go to college."

Cas was absolutely blown away. He had never met anyone who just _didn't_ listen to music. The idea alone was fucking absurd. It was Cas's duty to educate this poor, lost soul.

"Jesus christ. Ok then, we have some work to do. I swear I'm going to get you to like music, even if it's the last thing I do."

Dean just looked at him in amazement. This was everything he was hoping for and then some. Now their relationship had substance, it had a purpose.

"First thing's first- listen to it. The most important thing is to find out what you're into and what you're not. There is a _lot_ of music out there, so you're bound to find something. You said you like Nirvana, so I'd start there. Then, branch out."

"Ok," Dean said, nodding in understanding, trying very hard to soak in everything Cas said. "I'll do that." He grabbed his comic of the counter, sensing that it was time to wrap this all up. He didn't want to wear out his welcome. As he turned to leave, though, Cas called out to him.

"Hey, Dean. Come here quick," he called, motioning with his hand.

Dean smiled, obliging. Cas had said his name. He called him over. All of it made him so unbearably happy. As we reached the desk again, Cas pulled something out from another shelf and set it down. Dean examined it and saw that it was a Nirvana CD.

"Here," Cas said, "a little gift. Just don't tell my boss," he winked.

He actually winked.

"Thanks, a lot."

Cas nodded. "And whenever you get bored with that, come back in. We can look at some other music, and i'm sure we can find something for you."

Dean smiled at him and, after thanking him again, left the shop. Once he was outside, he let out a breath. His smile grew as an excited volt of electric bliss surged through him. Not only had he talked to Cas, he talked about something that Cas found interesting. Now he had a CD, a mission from Cas, an invitation to come back again, and a fricking wink.

He couldn't remember ever feeling happier.

~s~

(Author's note- Thanks to everybody reading/reviewing/favoriting! It means a lot. I hope you've been enjoying things so far. It will start picking up very soon, I promise. Please don't hesitate to give me your feedback on it so far, I'd love to hear what you guys think! Love you all, and until next time.)

(Also, I hope to be updating maybe once every week, but it really depends on school and whatnot. I will never be a terribly long wait, I promise!)


	4. Chapter 4

(Author's Note- sorry this chapter is a bit short, I wanted it to be longer but I also didn't want to force anything. I tried to get it published as soon as possible, so sorry if there's any spelling/grammar errors. Hope you like it!)

~s~

Dean really didn't want to admit how many times he'd listened to the CD Cas had given him. Part of this was because he knew the number was outrageously high, and also because he had lost count himself.

He surprised himself with how much he actually liked Nirvana. It was easy for him to just- lose himself in the songs. He loved the rough, edgy sound of Kurt Cobain and the guitars accompanying him. And the lyrics were unbelievably poetic. Dean was thoroughly surprised.

The next challenge was working up the courage to go back to the record store to talk to Cas. He had invited him, which made it easier, but there was always some invisible force stopping him from actually driving there. Like it just wasn't the right time. And it was driving him crazy.

It had been 12 days since Cas gave him the CD and winked at him, and the last three Dean had seriously contemplated going to Smash Records to just talking to the guy. Each time, though, it fell through. He was truly pathetic.

At least when he _did_ finally go back to the store, Cas wouldn't be disappointed. He had been listening to a lot of music, and not just Nirvana. He also liked stuff from The Doors, The Beatles, and even Pink Floyd. He'll admit, he mostly listened to stuff he thought Cas would approve of. Yet another reason he was utterly pathetic.

He really hoped he somehow won today's internal debate and went to record store. He wanted to see Cas again.

~s~

Weekends were always the busiest. Especially Saturdays. But Cas could understand that. It's everyone's day off, or at least everyone who goes to record shops. There were always constant streams of college students coming through the store, too stressed to be on campus studying but not wanting to commit to a night out with their friends.

"Excuse me," a guy asked Cas, who was filling out an inventory sheet in the back of the shop, "do you guys have the new Arctic Monkeys album?"

Cas glanced up at him and laughed internally. He looked like he had walked directly out of an Abercrombie and Fitch ad. Definitely not the typical customer. Plus, he sounded like a total douchebag. "Yeah, I think so. Let me just see here…" he responded, getting up to help him.

It didn't take long browsing the 'A' section before he found it. Hell, it wasn't even hard. Any idiot with two eyes could've found it in under two minutes.

"Alright, found it. Here you are," Cas said as politely as possible, handing the CD to the guy. "Enjoy."

He barely even mumbled a 'thanks' to Cas as he took the CD from his hands, already rushing it to the checkout counter where Adam was working. Wow, he was right- douchebag.

He just shook his head, resuming his position at the desk in the back, filling in the inventory paperwork. He would much rather be doing Adam's job right now, but someone had to keep the shop running. Cas didn't like to brag, but he was the most experienced employee. He'd been working there for what seemed like forever, but was actually just about 7 years. He started when he was 17 and never really saw a reason to quit.

As he got to the 'N' section in the paperwork, he suddenly remembered Dean and the Nirvana album he'd given him. It made him smile a bit. To Cas, it was like giving money to the poor- he simply giving his aid to someone less fortunate.

Luckily Cas was doing the paperwork this time, so he could just change the numbers. It's not like Bobby would ever find out. And even if he did, he wouldn't be mad. Just annoyed.

Still, changing the numbers (and essentially lying) made him feel clever. Like he had successfully completed some dangerous undercover mission that nobody would ever find out about. Cas liked that he gave the CD to Dean and he _really_ liked lying about it.

~s~

Dean walked in the doors of the shop at exactly 7:54 PM. And he still didn't know why. He was supposed to be driving to the supermarket to pick up the milk and bread he desperately needed, but somehow he ended up here. And, of course, it just had to feel right this time. At nearly 8 on a Saturday night.

He really did question his life choices sometimes.

After freaking out in the car for a good 5 minutes, he finally worked up a workable amount of courage and walked in the door. He _really_ hated the fact that it jingled. Because something that jingles alerts other people in the close proximity of you of your presence, which is exactly what happened. Cas, who was sweeping up the floor, suddenly stopped what he was doing and looked directly at him, looking more than surprised.

"Oh, hey Dean! Sorry we're closing soon, but do you need anything quick?" Cas asked, smiling a bit as he propped the broom against the wall.

Crap. What the hell was Dean supposed to say? _Hi Cas, I just dropped in to casually stalk you, no big deal. No no, I don't need anything, I was just feeling extra pathetic and thought looking at you would be kinda awesome._

God, he was an idiot. There he was, awkwardly standing in front of the guy he was _trying_ to impress, looking like a complete loser, not knowing what to say.

After what felt like forever, he finally managed to spit out something. "I, um, listened to that album. And, uh, some other stuff."

Jesus Christ, really? Dean truly did hate himself in that moment, or rather he hated his stupidity. Cas must think he was the biggest freak on the Western Hemisphere.

To his surprise, though, Cas's smile didn't even falter. He didn't seem annoyed, or angry, or freaked out. If anything he seemed excited.

"Yeah? What'd you think? Nirvana's pretty great, but if you don't like them there's a lot of other genres and bands you could always try."

Dean's embarrassment melted away, leaving gratitude. Cas didn't hate him, so that was definitely a plus. "Actually, I did like it. And I, uh, also looked up some other stuff." He tried to sound cool and smooth, but he was almost certain it had failed.

Cas, on the other hand, was loving this. Dean, in all his awkward dorkiness, stumbles into his shop literally minutes before closing time to tell him he listened to some music. It was just so- him. And Cas found that amazing. Something about the shy, introverted, comic book loving, nerd made Cas smile.

"Ok, cool. What did you listen to?" Cas encouraged, trying to get Dean to loosen up a bit.

"Well, um, stuff like The Doors, and Pink Floyd. I liked them, too."

Cas's eyes got big and his smile spread. "No way, that's awesome! Way to go, dude. I'm impressed."

Dean returned his smile. "Thanks," was all he could really respond.

The both stood there for awhile, not really sure how to continue. I didn't really feel awkward yet, but Dean had a feeling it was about to start. He didn't really want to push his luck with the whole not-creeping-Cas-out-yet thing, so he tried to come up with a logical escape plan. And failed.

"Well, um, sorry to have disturbed you. You're probably trying to close, so I should probably-"

And that's all Dean could really remember saying before somehow, without any warning, Cas was there, right there, an inch away from him. It was as if he were magic, or knew how to teleport, because just a second ago he was standing a good 6 feet away, leaning on the counter. And then, he just- wasn't. It confused Dean enough for him to forget his current situation.

_Cas was an inch away from him._

Or, at least he was. Again, everything happened so fast. One second he was by the counter, the next he was close enough that Dean could see just how blue his eyes were, and the next Cas closed the remaining distance so that there was none left and his lips met Dean's in a hard, perfect kind of way.

Cas was kissing him, touching him, holding him. It was all so amazing Dean considered he could be dreaming. But he knew he wasn't, because he could feel his small stubble brush against his cheek, he could taste his lips, which were pepperminty and delicate and _phenomenal_. Cas had managed to snake his hand up into Dean's hair, holding them firmly in place. Not like Dean would ever want to move.

Cas knew even less about what was currently happening than Dean. All he was aware of was Dean's lips, which were so fucking _soft_, pressed against his own. And before that, he was aware of even less. Something inside of him just snapped, and now here he was, kissing a guy he didn't know he liked. The only thought in his mind (other that Dean) was _thank god Adam had left early_.

Dean surprised himself by being strangely calm. Here he was, being kissed by the guy he had been thinking about for over a month and had previously thought did not feel this way about him, and his mind was clear from any overreaction or concern he usually had when he was this close to another human being.

He had no clue when Cas finally pulled away, but he was surprised to see a hint of a smile still on his face as he stared directly at Dean, not at all embarrassed by what he had just done or, even worse, regretting it. Instead, he just looked at him, almost like Cas was studying every last detail of his face, which was exactly what he himself was doing. Dean thought Cas had looked perfect from afar, but that was nothing compared to ho he looked now.

"Wanna come over to my place? We could listen to music, or do other stuff," Cas offered, still looking at Dean, their faces nearly touching.

And then Dean did something he had not yet done in his entire 23 years of living. He, Dean Winchester, the awkward geek who could count his romantic experiences on one hand, said yes.


	5. Chapter 5

Cas's apartment was nothing like Dean had imagined. Something about his roughness and personality screamed _I haven't seen my bedroom floor in 2 years._ He was, however, completely wrong. Cas owned a rather large flat above this weird looking cafe and it was spotless. Literally. Dean would've been fine eating off the guy's floor. It looked like it got steamed once a week.

Still, his place was still very- Cas. In his living room, there was a huge stereo system with an even bigger box next to it, filled with CDs and cassettes. He even had a record player and box of vinyls, though there weren't as many of those. Then there were the posters hanging all around in every room, most of which for bands Dean had never heard of. Cas also had this enormous window that stretched across most of the back wall, making the place look like an art studio. Everything looked new and clean and _Cas_.

As they walked in and Dean just stood there taking his apartment in, Cas moved over to the stereo and played an album softly, filling the silence nicely. Dean was proud he recognized it- Pink Floyd. He looked over at Cas, who was smiling wide, letting Dean know it wasn't a coincidence.

"You want anything?" Cas asked smoothly, moving back over to him. It unnerved Dean how calm and relaxed Cas was, while he was practically having a nervous breakdown.

"Um, I'm good, thanks."

Cas smirked at him as he moved past and into the kitchen. He grabbed himself a glass of water and leaned against his (spotless) counter, just staring at Dean. It was strange how vulnerable he felt, standing in Cas's apartment, being watched. He wanted to do something too- he wanted to be suggestive or insinuative or confident or _something_, but instead he was just standing there, awkwardly, not quite knowing what to do next.

After he finished his water, Cas set the glass on the counter, crossed his arms, and grinned. He looked like he knew exactly what to do in every single waking second, like he never made any mistakes. In that moment, Cas looked like someone who already had everything in their life figured out so now they were just kind of along for the ride. Dean had never been more intimidated.

"You know, you are something else," he mused, still not shifting his position.

Dean tried to smile without blushing. He also tried to say something. Both failed, though.

With a sigh, Cas pushed himself of the counter and walked over to where Dean still stood, which came as a huge relief to Dean, surprisingly enough. "Well then, what shall we do, Dean?" He added, suggestively, even adding a raised eyebrow.

Dean wasn't stupid, he knew what came next. It's not like he hadn't known that this would eventually happen (what else do you expect when someone invites you over after kissing you?), he just hadn't really thought about it. He prayed silently that Cas wouldn't hate him by the time they finished, seeing as how he had shockingly limited sexual experiences.

This time, it was Dean who leaned in to close the distance existing between the two, making their lips meet in a shy, sweet kiss. It made Dean reel with excitement, now that he knew he could at lest still do _that._ Cas, however, wasn't up for wasting time. Winding his hand around Dean and placing it firmly on the small of his back, he pressed them closer still, grinding his pelvis against Dean's. The feeling it gave him was euphoric. He transformed the sweet kiss into something else entirely, making it hard and lustful and delicious. Cas's tongue swiped along his bottom lip, to which he responded to immediately, parting his mouth and letting Cas in. Dean couldn't help the small moan that escaped him.

It was almost as amazing as the first time. Almost.

What made it different, though, was that now it was going further. Cas balled his shirt with his hand, making sure they still had a tight hold on each other before leading them into another room, one Dean could only guess was his bedroom. He really didn't know, though, because he wasn't really spending that much time taking in his surroundings. Not like he could have anyway, seeing as how their lips (and their bodies) never lost contact.

Everything that happened after passed by in a lustful, warm haze. Sure, he remembers bits and pieces, like how it felt to touch Cas with nothing separating them or having Cas's dick first in his mouth and then in other places, how it felt to finally orgasm and then collapse onto the bed in a sweaty, messy, content heap. How peaceful it was falling asleep curled up into Cas, their bodies intertwining in a way that just seemed to make sense, making the rest of the world disappear.

~s~

Cas had no fucking clue what he was doing.

He was about 200% sure that he was not into Dean whatsoever. He was just some dorky introvert that came into the shop every once in awhile. He had never felt a single feeling of love or affection towards him, ever. Then again, he also thought he was sure he didn't feel those feelings towards guys, but seeing as how he just fucked one, he wasn't really sure anymore.

Which brought him back to his original point: why did he fuck Dean again? He didn't like him, not really. The sex was great, sure, but it hadn't meant anything. It was just sex. Even if it was sex with a guy. A cute guy. Cas always kinda thought he could be gay or bi or whatever, but he had never really had the opportunity to test it out (not counting the one dude he blew at a party while he was still in college and very, very drunk). After last night, though, he was almost certain that was something besides straight.

And it wasn't like Dean _wasn't_ a great guy. He was nice, and polite, and cute. It's just that Cas never would have thought he would've slept with the guy. Or kiss him, for that matter. It was just one of those things that seemed to feel right in the moment, something you normally wouldn't have done, ever. He didn't regret it necessarily. He just didn't get _why_.

When he woke up, he was surprised to find Dean still sleeping next to him, his arm draped around Cas's hip. He looked peaceful, just lying there, so he decided not to wake him up. He, on the other hand, needed to get ready for work. It was almost 8:30, and he was supposed to be opening at 9. Quickly rolling out of bed, he headed straight for the shower. Seeing as he was conveniently already naked, the whole process took maybe 10 minutes.

He got dressed without really looking at what he was putting on. Not like it would matter. It was a Sunday, and almost no one ever comes to the shop on a Sunday. He was about to walk out of the apartment before he realized that Dean was still sleeping in his bed. Cas may not have been the nicest person in the world, but he couldn't just leave him in there, alone in _his_ apartment, without having any clue as to where he might be. He ripped a piece of paper off from one of his old bills and scrawled on it, in very messy letters:

_Cas-_

_Had to leave for work, sorry. Didn't want to wake you up. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen if you're hungry._

Looking it over once, he rushed into the bedroom and placed it softly on the pillow next to Dean's head. He looked at him, still sleeping heavily, and shook his head in disbelief, a smile trying to force its way onto his face. Cas was an idiot.

~s~

It felt odd to wake up without the sense of warmth next to him, which Dean had gotten rather comfortable with since last night. He wasn't sure how he expected this morning to go, but it definitely wasn't like this. The range of emotions he was feeling was quite large- anywhere from content to confused to hurt to annoyed. This was, of course, until he found the note and things made a little bit of sense.

Dean just shrugged and got dressed, not really wanting to be in Cas's apartment without Cas there. It just felt- weird. If he thought he didn't belong here last night, he sure as hell didn't now. Passing on his food offer, Dean quickly put on his shoes and left the loft, making sure to lock the door behind him.

Why he thought it'd be a good idea to go to Smash Records he'll never know. Maybe he hadn't experienced that awkward, after-sex tension that rears its ugly head when you try and hash it out too soon. Maybe he was just feeling extra stupid today.

He walked in the doors half an hour later, still not knowing why or, more importantly, what he was going to say to Cas. He spotted him pretty quickly, seeing as he was just sitting at the counter, on a laptop. And thanks to that stupid bell above the door, his head snapped up the second he walked in the door.

_Now_ it was awkward.

"Oh, um, hey Dean," Cas started, turning a little red. "Didn't expect to see you so soon."

Dean took a deep breath. "Yeah, well I had to get my car anyway, plus I thought maybe we should decide what last night meant…" Wow. He was proud of himself.

Cas nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right…" He got up out of his chair and moved around the the front of the counter, leaning against it casually. "It was fun, don't get me wrong, but it was probably just one of those stupid, in-the-moment type things, right?" he continued, laughing a bit to ease the awkward tension.

Dean felt crushed. Or smashed. Or both. He had thought that last night was amazing, like a dream come true. It hadn't meant a damn thing to Cas.

"Well, yeah, you're probably right," he mumbled, attempting to be lighthearted. He started to turn to leave, not really wanting to stick around here and look at Cas's face for another second, but something stopped him.

Anger.

"You know what? No. _No._ I wasn't the one who kissed you. I wasn't the one who invited you over to my house. That was all you. I wasn't complaining, I thought it was awesome. And now you decide to tell me that it was a mistake? You really are a giant ass, you know that?" Cas looked utterly stunned at Dean's outburst. He most likely had not seen it coming, but then again neither did Dean.

Dean just shook his head, turning to leave for real this time. As he swung the door open, though, Cas found his voice and finally said something.

"Hey Dean, wait! Look, I'm sorry, ok? I know what I did was a dick move. I am sorry. I was't really thinking clearly, and you didn't deserve that. Sorry," he spewed, all at once, words pouring from his mouth.

Dean just rolled his eyes and shook his head, once more turning to face the door.

"Dude!" Cas said, stopping him yet again. "I said wait! I meant what I said. I really am sorry."

"Great, good to know. I didn't catch it the first five times, so thanks. Now that you've apologized, everything is better, right?" he snapped back, his words laced with sarcasm.

Cas sighed. "Look, maybe we should just forget about last night. Let's just go back to being friends, or whatever we were before last night."

"Yeah, because that'll be easy to do…"

"I'm serious! I think you're a cool guy, even if I don't like you like that. I liked talking to you about music and stuff."

Now it was Dean's turn to sigh. "Fine. And what do you propose we do, to magically transform us back into 'friends'?"

"Well," Cas started, ignoring the sarcasm still in Dean's voice, "How would you like to work here? We're hiring."

~s~

(author's note: Here it is! Sorry if there are errors, it's like 2am and I don't really feel like proofreading (sue me). Also a sorry if the first sex scene wasn't quite what you were expecting. I didn't want to try and write in a super graphic part where it wouldn't have fit in. There will be better ones though, I promise! Also a quick thank you to all the reviews/favorites/follows I've gotten. I really appreciate it!)


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